


Happy Feet (tell it like it is)

by greenet



Category: Bandom, Cobra Starship, The Academy Is...
Genre: Coming Out, M/M, Ridiculousness, outside relationship point of view
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-29
Updated: 2011-09-29
Packaged: 2017-10-24 03:46:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/258609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenet/pseuds/greenet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mike and Bill are apparently blind, Sisky is having relationship issues, and Andy is just exasperated by it all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Feet (tell it like it is)

There are times when Andy honestly wonders if his bandmates even have the sense god gave brain-damaged puppies. Not often, he's too nice for that, but some times. "And why," he asks patiently. "Did Nate punch you in the face?"

Mike gives him a wounded look over the bag of frozen peas he's got pressed to his jaw (Andy has no idea where Bill found the peas and he's not asking). "I don't know! I didn't do anything to him!"

Bill stops fussing long enough to give Andy a disappointed look. "You shouldn't blame the victim, Butcher."

"Were you - and I'm just guessing here, you understand - hitting Sisky over the head with a water bottle again? Pulling his pigtails, metaphorically speaking? Being basically the little shit you sometimes are when you’re playing around?"

Bill and Mike look at him blankly. "What's that got to do with anything?" Mike asks finally. "Sisky doesn't mind."

Brain-damaged puppies, seriously. Andy thunks his head on the tiny, tiny fold up table and gives up on them.

* * *

A couple of days and a black eye for Mike later, Michael strides over to where Andy is working on a new painting. He's got a rain poncho on the ground for protection and the canvas on top of it. He's considering calling the painting 'Idiots in Sunset'. It's a surrealistic concept based on real events. He's got to get his frustration out somehow.

Michael stands around looking awkward, fiddling with his sleeves and waiting. Andy finishes the splashes of red paint, then looks up, smiling automatically. "What?"

"Um," Michael says, grimacing.

"Yes?" Andy stops kneeling and sits down on his ass instead, tilting his head back.

Michael kicks at the grass, careful not to get any dirt on the canvas, then says, quickly, "Mike and William really don't know, do they?"

Andy narrows his eyes up at him. "About what?" Because, honestly, the things Mike and William don't know about could probably fill several encyclopedias. Not dictionaries though. William likes words. It's sort of endearing.

"About, um, Sisky? And, um, Novarro?" Michael gives him a quick sideways glance and looks determinedly away again, apparently to study the roof of the Cobra bus. "I thought maybe we just didn't talk about it, right? But they really don't know. I mean. I don't think..."

"Michael Guy Chislett, I think I love you," Andy says earnestly, getting on his feet to give Michael a heartfelt pat on the back.

Michael blinks, startled. "Okay?" he says uncertainly.

"No, they don't know. It's been, jesus, almost two years, and they -still don't know-." Andy can't help the hint of despair colouring his voice, this shit is -depressing-, okay?

"Oh wow," Michael mumbles, and then he gives Andy a tight hug followed by a manly slap on the back. "That is the saddest thing I've ever heard."

"You don't even know half of it," Andy says. "Once Bill caught them making out eight different times in five days and he still didn't get it! He thinks it's an ongoing game of gay chicken! Mike's walked in on them post-coital more often than I have and I've lived with the guy!"

"Why doesn't Siska just tell them?"

"...I think he's hoping he won't have to."

Michael looks at Andy.

Andy sighs. "Yeah, I know."

* * *

"Please, please, for the love of custom-made drumsets, please stop hitting Mike," Andy pleads. He's got Nate cornered by a sidestage and he'll get on his knees and beg if he has to.

Nate folds his arms over his chest and sticks his chin out mulishly. He's got drumsticks sticking up of his back pocket. "Why?"

"He doesn't know why you're doing it and he's getting sad, which makes William sad, which makes him not wanna hang with Gabe, which makes Gabe bug everyone who vaguely knows him, which makes my life very, very sad indeed, so please, please, stop." Andy doesn't even dare sunbathe naked anymore in case Gabe pounces.

"He -should- know," Nate says.

Andy nods vigorously. "I agree, I agree so much, you don't even know, but he -doesn't-."

Nate narrows his eyes. "But he's--"

"Yes, I -know-," Andy says. "But maybe if Siska, like, tells him and William. In words of one syllable. Repeatedly. Then maybe they'd get it, but right now I'm frankly not even sure about that."

Nate blinks and his arms drop to his sides. He tilts his head. "He hasn't told them? But... And you know," he adds accusingly.

"Well, yeah, I'm not an idiot," Andy explains. He pauses. "And when I see Sisky, I don't see a twelve year old, so there's that too, I guess."

Nate makes a face. "Ew." He taps his fingers against the side of the stage for a moment. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay, I'll stop punching Mike every time he's a fuckhead." Nate narrows his eyes again. "But I don't like it and I totally reserve the right to hit him again if he's being especially asshole-y, because Siska just smiles and eats fucking kit-kats, and that shit's not on."

"That's fine!" Andy says jubilantly and makes a mental note to start practicing his flying tackles. "It's a deal! Thank you!"

Nate hrummphs and stalks off, grabbing his drumsticks as he walks.

* * *

Two days after the new TAI TV goes online, Andy wakes to find three new voicemails on his phone. All three of them are Tom Conrad laughing hysterically, sounding more and more like a hyena for every message. Andy scowls sleepily and calls him back.

"Andy!" Tom says happily.

"You suck so hard," Andy informs him. He yawns while Tom laughs some more. "Seriously, fuckface, shut up."

"They still haven't figured it out, huh?" Tom says finally, mirth still in his voice.

Andy claws at his face. "No, no, they haven't."

Tom sniggers.

Andy had had such high hopes too! Ryland had been easy to convince to play Guy Ripley, all he'd wanted was a scene where he mooned over Victoria again. Jack and Tony had been slightly trickier but in the end they'd just shrugged and gone along with it, and Guy Ripley had questioned TAI... about their favorite members of Cobra Starship.

It SHOULD have worked! No one could possibly listen to Sisky talk about Nate and NOT get it, Andy was certain of that. Sisky was a lot of things, but subtle definitely wasn't one of those things.

But it really, really hadn't worked at all. Instead Mike had ended up spending two hours asking William if he was doing Gabe Saporta. Andy had wanted to cry. At least Michael had kept giving him sympathetic glances. That had helped a little.

"This is driving me batshit insane," Andy says, and eyes his collection of shorts thoughtfully.

"You could just tell them," Tom suggests dryly.

"No, Sisky wouldn't want me to." Plus, they probably wouldn't believe him.

Tom is quiet while Andy picks a pair of hot pink shorts, then he says, "I'm going to hang up and have incredibly hot sex with my entire incredibly hot band now while I laugh at you some more."

Andy sighs. "I know. Have fun. Talk to you later."

* * *

"They're fucking, huh," Johnson says into his ear, and Andy drops his can of beer. Luckily it's mostly empty by this point.

"What the fuck," he exclaims, startled, turning around to blink at the wee cabbie.

Johnson gives him a serene look back. "Hi."

"The power is strong in this one," Andy can't help but mumble appreciatively. Johnson is a good trainee ninja. Better than Smith even. Smith never could master the stealth. It is the hips probably. "Who are? Are we at the orgy stage already?"

Johnson gives him a quick grin then inclines his head towards the corner. Andy glances in that direction and spots Nate holding three bottles of beer and staring quizzically at whatever Sisky is attempting to demonstrate by using one of Gizmo's toys and a fake fur collar. Andy returns his attention to Johnson, mildly disappointed. "That's not orgy. Kinky, maybe, but."

Johnson nods. "Yeah, I thought they were," he says, apparently replying to an answer Andy hadn't been aware of giving. "I'll tell Cash to back down, go back to hitting on Victoria again, whatever."

"That's kind of mean," Andy says, only slightly admiring, because he's kind of a pacifist, really, and Victoria is only patient for so long before the high heels come out. Also, the things she can do with iMovie and some handy recordings don't bear thinking about.

Johnson shrugs. "He's got to learn some day."

"Don't, um, tell people," Andy says after a moment of dead air. "It's not exactly a secret or anything, just. You know or you don't, kind of."

"I'm not really the gossiping kind," Johnson says. He seems amused.

* * *

"It's just... Nate doesn't get it," Adam complains. He's sitting up and frowning down at the grass. "Mike's not -mean-. He just. It's not on purpose. And I can take care of myself, if I had to. He doesn't have to defend me or whatever."

Andy rolls over to his side look at him properly. "I don't think it's that he doesn't get it, exactly. I think it's more, like, being your boyfriend sort of thing, or something."

Adam gives him a startled look. "What do you mean?"

"Um, like he'll do what you won't? Because you won't?" Andy squints. "That made more sense before I said it out loud."

"No, no, what? Boyfriend?"

Andy stares at him in sudden horror. "Please tell me you know you're having sex with Nate."

Adam grins. "Yeah, but, like, how do you know that?"

"Oh thank god." Apparently the whole Mike and William situation is getting to him because the Andy feels actual relief at that. "Sisky, dude, it's been two years. -Everybody- knows. Unless they're idiots," he adds, sighing again. "Seriously, you should think about actually telling people."

Adam looks down at his feet, wiggling them a little. "No."

"Sisky..."

"No. I'd. I'd have to tell Jason first, and, no. I'm not doing that."

Andy reaches out to curl a hand around the closest ankle. "Dude, Jason loves you."

"I know."

"So?"

"Yeah, no." He wiggles his free foot, rubbing it against the grass. "And it's more like two and a half years. It depends on how you, like, start counting."

Andy feels his eyebrows lift and he lets Adam change the topic. "Oh?"

"Um, first time we kissed," Adam says. His ears are turning red and he's not looking at Andy. "That's when I... Nate says a little over a year ago, but I don't think that's really fair. 'Cause we would have sooner if we could have. And I wasn't hooking up with anybody else and I don't think he was either. Well, mostly, I haven't actually asked or anything."

Andy rubs his heel with his thumb. "I think you're allowed to ask by now if you want to know."

"It's kind of lame though."

Andy stills and gives him an incredulous look. "Your boy's in Cobra Starship," he says. "They think lame is -awesome-."

Adam grins at that. "I guess."

* * *

"Oh Alex, my Alex?"

"Yes, Ryland, my Ryland?" Alex replies pleasantly, leaning back on his elbows.

"What are you doing?"

"Plotting how I'm going to take over the world with the Butcher."

Ryland drops down between them on the floor. "Awesome, can I join?"

Andy tilts his head. "I don't know, you didn't do too well on your first try."

Ryland's face falls. "Is this about Nate and Sisky again? Look, I -tried-. Is it my fault they're oblivious motherfuckers?" He pauses. "But now I'm really wondering about Bill and Gabe."

Alex gives him an interested look. "But Gabe is straight," he says seriously.

Ryland and Andy snort in unison at that.

Alex smirks.

* * *

Nate opens the conversation by handing Andy a beer. As he's already drinking one Andy is a little surprised, but he understands that it's some sort of manly Southern bonding thing and takes it. "Um, thanks?" And now to figure out if he can finish both beers before he needs his hands again. It's possible he's already had a couple, too.

Nate nods. "Sisky talked to you, yeah?"

"Sisky talks to me about a lot of things," Andy says honestly.

"I meant about..." he gestures vaguely, and then says, abruptly, "I don't want to push him."

"Okay?" Andy says blankly.

"I don't ask him questions much, so it's good that you do." Nate nods again. "I don't want to, like, take advantage or whatever." He starts studying the label on his bottle intently, apparently a bit embarrassed. Andy hadn't known the Cobras knew what embarrassment even -was-. You learn something new every day.

"You're, what? William's age? Dude, I don't think anyone's going to accuse you of cradle robbing, if that's what you're worried about."

"No. That's not..." Nate trails off and stares into the middle distance, thinking. Andy lets him do that and gets working on his beers. "Sisky believes in people," Nate says finally. "He doesn't really see hidden agendas and stuff, and I want... Well, I think he shouldn't decide things based on what I want, actually."

"Do you -have- any hidden agendas?" Andy asks.

Nate looks a little surprised. "No. I mean, not really, no."

"Good." Andy sips his beer, then nudges Nate's shoulder gently. "It's good that you care, that you worry about this stuff."

Nate shrugs uncomfortably. "I like him."

"He likes you too," Andy says, and Nate ducks his head, but seems happy enough. Before he can say anything else, Victoria is yelling for Nate to come settle a bet, and Nate walks off, throwing Andy a quick smile as he does.

* * *

"Do you think..." William starts, then breaks off. "Hm."

"Hm?" Andy doesn't look up from sorting out his Canadian quarters from the random other coins he's got.

"Is it just me or is Sisky acting a little... weird lately? Like. I don't know. Weird."

"No, not really," Andy says absently. He's getting a pretty nice collection of pounds and euros going, which is cool, but unhelpful right now. He looks up. "Why?"

William waves his underwear around. Andy hopes it's a clean pair. "You don't think he's being quiet? And, like, evasive?"

Andy stares at him and wonders how William has managed to notice that and not that Sisky is sneaking off at any possible moment to suck face with Nate. He's not sure whether he's depressed or impressed by the willfull blindness.

"No? Yeah, no, I'm probably just being paranoid or whatever." William flushes a little and waves his underwear again. "How many quarters are you up to now? Do we have enough for Jack's laundry?"

* * *

"So the internet tells me you're fucking Sisky," Gabe says cheerfully. He's hauling out the slip'n'slide again.

Nate blinks, pausing with the soap bottle over his open palm. "What?"

"Not you, him." Gabe nods at Andy.

Andy stares back, confused. "What?"

"Apparently your love is epic," Gabe nods again, happily. "I was totally convinced."

Nate looks suspicious. "You're not making Victoria read stuff again, are you?"

Gabe drops the slip'n'slide and looks shifty. "No?"

"Oh my god, Gabe, you -know- what Alex is going to--" Nate starts.

"It's not about us! It's, um."

"About us," Andy says. He squints at Gabe who's not looking at all sheepish. No shame at all. "I'm not sure I like that. It's... weird."

"No, no, it's.. You don't understand! It's awesome!" Gabe's eyes light up. "There's, like, photo manipulations and videos and stuff! You have to--" He's hit in the chest by the soap bottle. "Hey!"

Nate points at him. "You need to shut the hell up."

"But I--!"

"I -will- wallpaper your bunk with Treckett stories," Nate says firmly. "And the creepiest fanart I can find. I'll get Ryland to help me, you know he will."

Gabe pouts.

"Dibs on the first go!" Andy says quickly, and Gabe is thankfully distracted.

When they're done and packing up the slip'n'slide while Gabe rambles on about the hottest places he's been and which was the closest to hell, Andy happens to glance in Nate's direction and finds him looking back with an odd expression on his face. Butcher arcs his eyebrows quizzically, but Nate just shakes his head and turns away.

* * *

Adam starts crawling into Mike's bunk again, and that's when Andy figures out that all is not well in the Land of Adam T. Siska. It's an Adam-habit from the early days when they all had to squish up and share. Apparently Mike gives really good sleepy cuddles or something. Andy wouldn't know. Mike takes care of his people, so it's not that surprising that he protects people in his sleep too.

"Do you think we could tour the Arctic next?" Mike asks wistfully. He's sitting in the doorway into the bus, looking as sweaty and uncomfortable as Andy feels. Andy considers suggesting that he strip down again. Andy himself is wearing the tiniest shorts he could find and even that seems too much.

"Play for the penguins and seals?"

"Yeah, sure." Mike shrugs. "Sleep in hotels made of ice and stuff. Ooh, ice. Do you remember ice?"

"I don't think those hotels are in the arctic," Andy says dubiously. He's pretty sure the arctic doesn't have enough tourists for that. He could be wrong.

"Well, where ever the hell they are then. I don't care as long as it's cold." Mike drops his head, closing his eyes. After a long while of doing absolutely nothing (and Andy is right there with him) he frowns and looks over at Andy. "Hey, do you know what's up with Sisky?"

Andy shakes his head. "No. Maybe he's homesick?"

"Maybe." He tilts his head, then nods. "Yeah, I'll get Bill to call Jason, see if he can come out for a bit again."

Andy isn't sure that's such a good idea but he has no clue how to express this without arising Mike's suspicions, so he just nods.

* * *

Michael hands Andy a super-soaker and points at Siska. Andy nods, salutes haphazardly, and sets upon Siska with his best war cry.

* * *

At the next stop, Johnson comes over while Andy watches Cash crash and burn with Victoria. He's pretty sure that she's going to pat him on the head and call him adorable in a minute or so.

"He's on a mission," Johnson says with a sigh. "A cobra mission."

Andy glances at him. "-From- the cobra, or?"

"No, no, to -do- the cobras."

"Right." Andy nods. "...How's it going so far?"

Johnson smirks.

Andy nods again. "Who's holding the pot?"

"Ryland. Ten bucks gets you in."

Of course.

* * *

"I don't understand," Adam says, sounding bewildered. "I haven't done anything. I mean, I'd know if I had, right? So why's he avoiding me?"

Andy is considering adding a companion piece to 'idiots in sunset'. He'll call it 'idiots in love'. It'll be epic. Gabe'll probably want to put it online. He puts his arm around Adam's shoulder and pulls him closer. "I don't know, Sisky."

Adam leans back, breathing shakily. Butcher rubs his shoulder comfortingly.

* * *

When their set is over, Adam jumps off the stage, but instead of making a run for the nearest shower, he pulls his shoulders back and straightens, and starts walking towards the Cobra Starship stage. He's pretty much got bravado written all over him.

Talking it out would be a good thing, usually, but Andy's not at all certain Nate hasn't solved his problems by pushing Adam away instead of pushing for something he doesn't think Adam can give. He's also not entirely sure he can be angry with Nate if that's the case. Still. It's -Adam-.

He nods absently to Mikey who starts taking down the kit. Maybe he should just sort of wander in that direction. Just in case. Yeah. Might be a good idea.

Decision made, he follows Adam, strolling nonchalantly after him. He arrives in time to hear Adam call up to the stage that he needs a couple of minutes with Nate if that's okay.

Gabe shrugs. "Yeah, sure." He waves for Nate to go. Nate takes a little longer than Andy has seen him do before, but he comes down to the side of the stage where Adam is standing, thumbs in his belt hoops and feet wide apart.

"Hi," Nate says, shaking his head to get the hair out of his eyes, and looks up at Adam. Andy inches closer, sneakily. (On the stage Ryland waves and goes "Hi Butcher!")

"Hi," Adam says back. They smile dopily at each other until Adam seems to remember why he's here, and frowns. "You've been avoiding me."

"What? No," Nate denies immidiately, frowning back.

"Yeah, you have, and I haven't done anything to make you do that," Adam says firmly, but there's a tiny trace on uncertainty there, emphasized by the way he pulls his shoulders back again.

Nate's frown deepens. "Of course not. I haven't been avoiding you on purpose, not really. I've just been thinking." He's got his arms hanging straight down, hands clenched in fists.

"Okay," Adam says slowly, tilting his head sideways. "What have you been thinking about?"

Nate hesitates, glancing around. Andy gives him a little wave. Nate arcs a surprised eyebrow at him, before looking back at Adam. "Maybe not now, okay? This isn't really a good time."

"You're not going to disappear on me for the next three cities, are you?" Adam asks, moving his hands up to clasp at his elbows.

"I didn't mean to do that." Nate kicks at the tufts of grass a little sheepishly. "Sorry. I just needed to work some things out in my head, and you're kind of distracting." Adam grins at that. "But, yeah, we should talk. Um, after the set, maybe? You can wait, if you want."

Andy stops eavesdropping then and goes to talk to Ryland to see if there's any dates open for betting on when Victoria has had enough and takes Cash out in a blaze of glory (hers) and humiliation (his).

* * *

Michael is watching Bill and Mike yelling at each other and flailing their arms. He looks mildly bemused. "I'm not dreaming, right? They did have this exact same argument two days ago about a song we laid down the tracks to three months ago?"

"Yup," Andy nods. He's half making a sketch for 'idiots in love', half watching the door for Adam to return.

"Oh good."

"Matrix moment?"

Michael nods. "U-huh. Very disconcerting."

"Oh, Jason will be coming down on Wednesday," William says, voice calm, before continuing to yell that Mike is so wrong, so very wrong, and also misunderstanding William's -vision-. Mike retaliates with some choice words about William's vision, parentage, intelligence and taste in underwear.

"They actually enjoy this, you know," Andy says. That was the part Tom never really got, or maybe didn't care to.

Michael smiles, watching them fondly. "Yeah, I do."

"--And -anyway- anyone who wears spider-man pajamas has nothing to say when it comes to batman shorts!"

"I WAS TEN!"

Adam doesn't come back until they're ready to move out and then he goes directly to Mike's bunk.

* * *

"I believe this belongs to you," Johnson says dryly and drops a very intoxicated Adam into Andy's lap. Then he locks his arms around Cash's waist, to keep him from wandering off, probably. "Have fun. No, Cash, the van is this way. No, seriously." They walk off, Johnson keeping a firm grip on Cash.

Andy looks down at Adam. Adam beams up at him. "Hiiiii, the Butcher! You're my bestest friend ever!"

"And you're incredibly drunk," Andy notes, grinning back.

"Yes, I am," Adam agrees. "Everything's all spinny and nice."

Andy pats him on the head. "That's great. You know you're playing tomorrow, right?"

"Eh," Adam waves a hand dismissingly.

"Yeeeah, I don't think that's gonna fly."

Adam ponders this then gives a huge sigh, sliding down until he's resting the back of his head against Andy's thigh. "I just wanted not to think for a bit. Didn't really work though."

"Nate?" He lets his hand fall onto Adam's head, ruffling his hair a little.

"Yeah. I didn't even know..." Adam trails off. He tips his head back, trying to meet Andy's eyes. "Do you think I've been mean?"

"What?" Andy blinks back, genuinely startled. "No. I don't... Not on purpose. Never. What?"

"Nate thinks so," Adam says gloomily.

"Pretty sure he doesn't."

"No, he does. He wants... He says he doesn't want to be a secret and, and he didn't know he was, and... He's okay with, like, the internet not knowing, but he thought the guys knew, because of the making-out and stuff, but then they don't know and..." Adam frowns, the corners of his mouth pulling down sadly. "I think I hurt him and that's mean."

"Oh, Adam," Andy sighs.

"See? Mean."

* * *

"I thought you said you wouldn't ask for too much," Andy hisses, pulling Nate away from the group. None of the others notice.

"Not what I said," Nate objects. He holds up a hand. "Yeah, yes, I know." His eyes are colder than Andy's ever seen them before. "But I won't be a dirty little secret. That’s… No."

"You aren’t,” Andy protests.

"Right now? Yeah, I am. Which is fine, really, if all we're doing is fucking around, but I thought... well, hoped, I guess, that we were more than that." Nate grimaces. "Could be more. I still want him to decide for himself what he wants, but he's got to actually -make- that decision at some point."

"He might not choose you," Andy says, slowly, watching Nate flinch.

"I know."

"And you still want to force this."

"No," Nate says, surprisingly, because Andy had been of the impression that Nate had made up his mind once and for all. "But I'm not sure I'd like myself a whole lot if I didn't."

"Okay. Okay, I get that." Andy studies Nate, trying to figure this out. "Mike and William knowing, would that be enough?"

"Yes." Nate pauses, thinking about it. "Well, it's a start. It would be enough for now. At least that'd be..." He trails off and gives Andy a sharp look. "And you can't be the one to tell them."

Andy sighs. "Trust me, if I thought it would help, I would've told them a long time ago. But it's Adam's thing to tell." Or alternately Bill and Mike could wake up. He isn't going to be holding his breath for that though. Plus… ”They probably wouldn’t believe me anyway.”

Nate rolls his eyes.

* * *

And then Jason arrives, because Andy's life obviously isn't hard enough as is it is. At least Mike is neither getting punched in the head nor punching anyone else in the head, so that's good, probably. Progress of a sort.

Adam doesn't seem entirely sure whether he's happy or not either. Jason is around which is awesome and distracting and he stops climbing into Mike's bunk. But Andy sees him staring frustrated at his phone more than once, before growling and putting it down, and he keeps starting towards the Cobra bus before halting and changing direction.

Nate seems unchanged until Andy realizes that he's always sticking close to one of his guys. Andy exchanges looks with Alex every once in a while and makes a face. Alex makes a face back and shrugs 'what can you do?' and it's nothing, of course, but be a friend and wait.

Michael looks even more confused than normal and finally nudges Andy while they're on a coffee run and asks, "Novarro and Sisky, did they have a fight?"

"No. Well, sort of, I guess," Andy corrects himself. "I wouldn't call it a fight exactly."

Michael eyes him.

"They, um." Andy juggles his take-away things, trying to figure out how to explain it. "Weren't on the same page. It's complicated."

"Hm," says Michael. He rustles his bag of muffins as they walk, apparently thinking. "They're gonna work it out, right? Because I have to say I don't think we could take on his band in a grudge match and win."

"I find your lack of faith disturbing," Andy says, even though he kind of agrees. Ryland is -cunning-, and Gabe might like William a whole lot, but Andy is almost sure he likes Nate more and would throw down on his behalf. Andy wonders idly if Pete would come and referee.

"Have you even met us?" Michael points out, quirking a grin.

Andy nods, conceding the point. They walk past a couple of tech girls chattering about Middleman, someone's tour manager looking harrassed and some merch people hauling boxes before he says, "Sisky's just young. He hasn't had time to think about things yet."

Michael pauses for a moment, then shrugs. "Fair enough."

"You don't have a problem with it -- with them, do you?"

Michael gives him a faintly incredulous look. "I think you'd know by now if I did." He blinks. "Oh. Is that why...? Jason doesn't approve?"

"Jason doesn't know."

Michael frowns. "About Novarro?"

Andy sighs. "About Sisky."

Michael squints at him.

Andy nods.

"I'm just going to stop asking questions now," Michael decides. "From now on, I'll just nod and smile." He does so just as Tony opens the bus door. Tony gives him a suspicious look. Michael smiles sheepishly and holds up his paper bag. "Muffins?"

* * *

"I think he's aiming for Gabe now," Johnson says thoughtfully. "Or maybe both of them. I can't really tell."

Andy tilts his head. Gabe and Victoria are playing keep-away with something of Cash's. They're all laughing hard enough that the only thing that's keeping Cash from grabbing it is that he too is bent over chortling half the time. "Or they're just playing."

Johnson looks at him. "But that's not as fun for me," he explains. "Mocking Cash is an important part of our friendship... bonding. Thing. Experience!"

Andy looks back. "In that case, he's definitely hitting on both of them. And failing."

Johnson beams.

* * *

Andy recognizes the voices without problem, pausing in his step.

"If that's what you want, if you want, we could--"

"Jesus, Nate! Do you like fucking with my head, or something?"

Andy pokes his head around the corner of the bus, squinting into the dark between the two buses.

"I'm... What?" Nate sounds surprised. "I'm not fucking with you. I meant what I said."

Adam's got his arms wrapped tightly around himself. "You break up with me, but you'll totally still fuck around? What the -hell-, Nate? That's kind of seriously mixing signals."

Nate takes a step back, crashing into the side of the bus. "I just don't want to think it's something it's not," he says quiet enough that Andy has to strain to hear him. "Not again. That's all. I never stopped wanting…"

They both look away.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," Adam says finally. He rubs his elbows. "I know I did, and I get if you don't trust me, but I wouldn't... I wouldn't do it again. If you'd, you know, forgive me, maybe?"

Nate sighs, bending his head. "I don't like secrets, Adam. Not when it comes to people I like. I don't know if I can... Not when I know it's--"

"No, no, you don't get it!" And Adam reaches out to touch Nate's arms, making him look back. "I'm saying... I'm saying I'll... I'll do it. Whatever you want. I'll tell them. Okay?"

Andy kind of wants to do a dance of joy, but that would probably give away the eavesdropping so he decides not to. Later though, totally dance of joy time.

"...Bill and Mike?" Nate sounds unsure still. Unsure, but hopeful.

"And Jason and Michael and the entire fucking world, if that's what you want," Adam confirms. "I -miss- you."

"You don't have to. We could still just hook up sometimes," Nate says, and Andy wants to throw things at him. "Without it being anything. I don't want you to do something you're not ready for, just because I can’t deal."

"Nate, you're such a..." Adam trails off, huffing. He moves his hands down, grabbing Nate's and lacing their fingers together, lifting them up. "I'm trying to say that I miss you. I like you. A lot. I want you to meet my fucking family as my boyfriend, okay? I -want- it to be something. It's -always- been something. Did you seriously not know that?"

"Oh." Nate sounds amazed. Andy can't see his face properly from this angle, but it sounds like he's smiling.

"Yeah. So. Is that okay?"

Nate laughs, and Andy grins as he walks off. "Yeah, Sisky,” he hears Nate saying fondly. ”It's okay. It's more than okay, even."

* * *

"Try to look surprised!"

Michael blinks. "Eh?"

* * *

"I don't get it," William says finally. He's looking from Nate to Adam and back again.

Andy can feel a headache coming on. He seems to have radically underestimated their ability to not see things that are directly in front of their eyes. Adam is holding Nate's hand, for god's sake! Lovingly! That’s a loving grasp!

"What's Gabe up to now?" Mike asks suspiciously.

"Gabe has nothing to do with this," Nate says, blinking.

Adam shivers. "Ew, no."

William looks a little offended.

"Not that there's anything wrong with Gabe," Adam adds hurriedly, apparently seeing it too. "But I really don't want to date him. Or have a threesome with him. Or make out with him. Or whatever else he could come up with."

"I should hope not," Nate mumbles, eyebrows twitching. "That would be seriously weird."

"So what are you going on about then?" Mike wants to know. "Andy, stop banging your head like that, it's not good for you."

Andy stops. He wasn't even aware that he was doing it. "Sorry."

Adam gives Nate a quick glance, takes a deep breath and starts over. "Nate's my boyfriend. We're, like, dating. Have been, actually, for, um, a while."

"Two years, five months," Nate shoots in.

Adam flushes and bites his lip.

Andy grins up at him.

"You have not." William's voice is flat with disbelief. "I'd've noticed."

"Apparently not," Nate says drily. "I thought you had, but..." He trails off, looking at Adam. "That doesn't matter now though. The point is, we're dating. Have been, are, will be."

Adam nods. "Yeah." He hesitates. "We're not, like, coming out to the fans or anything though. But, you guys should know." He seems a bit awkward about it still. "And, um, now you do. So."

Mike's narrowing his eyes at them. "Does Jason know?"

"Not...Not yet," Adam says. "I will tell him," he adds to Nate. "I just."

"I know you will," Nate says, squeezing his hand. "I..." He glances over at William and Mike who're still staring at them, one with eyes the size of saucers, the other with eyes as narrow slits. Michael appears to be studying his shoes rather intently. Andy's just happy that the facts seem to be sinking in with the other two. "Anyway. I kind of have to go before people send out a search party, but I'll see you later, yeah?"

Adam nods and lets go of his hand. Nate's over by the door with his hand on the door handle when he says, "wait!" and is over by Nate's side in three long strides. Nate turns to give him a puzzled look and then Adam has his arms around his neck and is pulling him in for a kiss. When they separate Nate is smiling.

"What was that for?" he says. "You're gonna see me in an hour."

Adam shrugs and smiles back. "I just wanted to, and now I can."

”Wait a minute,” Mike says slowly. ”You have been together? And you didn’t tell anyone?”

”Bye, see you,” Nate says quickly, and he’s out the door. Andy nods in approval. The skill of getting the hell out of dodge is one that anyone Adam wants to date should have.

Mike frowns at Adam. ”Why didn’t you tell us?”

Adam sighs and gives Andy a pleading look. Andy shrugs at him. He hasn’t been able to figure that out either. Not really.

William looks wounded. ”Did you think you couldn’t?”

”No, that wasn’t it.” Adam sits down on the table, eyes wide and earnest. ”I just didn’t want to tell you.”

Now Mike looks wounded as well.

”I didn’t think I needed to,” Adam continued. ”It was just… I mean, it’s not like you guys don’t make out with dudes every once in a while, and it was just… And I feel pretty stupid right now, by the way, with you guys all staring at me like that.”

”I’m not staring!” Michael protests, looking up briefly from his phone. He’s probably busy gossiping with Butch. He does that a lot.

”-They- should be feeling stupid,” Andy says idly. ”Two years and five months, dudes.”

”Gabe is going to love this,” Mike says.

”Gabe has known about it for two years, four months and twenty-eight days,” Adam says dryly. ”At least, according to Nate.”

”And he didn’t -tell- me?” William looks even more wounded. ”Does everybody think I’m some kind of gay basher or something?”

Adam blinks at him, taken aback. ”…No?”

”But, but…”

”It was just easier not thinking about it, and not talking about it.” Adam looks down at his hands. ”At first it wasn’t anything to talk about, we weren’t even really hooking up, and then it just got kind of complicated, and I didn’t really want to deal with it, I guess.”

Mike looks thoughtful. That’s never a good sign. Then he turns his head and gives Andy a long, hard look. ”So is it just Nate,” Mike says distantly, holding Andy’s gaze. ”Or is there someone else as well?”

”What? Oh, hell, no!” Andy yelps. ”Uh, no offense, Sisky. I’m sure you’re hot and everything, I just. No.”

Adam falls off the table due to laughing too hard. Andy tries not to feel too insulted. He really doesn’t want Adam like that, but there’s still no need for that kind of hilarity at the concept.

* * *  
And it’s easier after that. Adam smiles a lot more, and he walks looser. Andy hadn’t even really noticed how tense Adam had been, but he could see it now that he wasn’t anymore. Nate pretty much moves in, and William - after running into one make-out session too many - ”My virgin eyes, Sisky! Seriously!” - moves in with the Cobras.

Andy finishes his paintings.

Michael ambles over just as Andy finishes the last strokes. He pushes his sunglasses up and squints down. He laughs. ”You’re missing me and you,” he says, crouching down to poke carefully at the edge of the one of Bill and Mike looking like bewildered meerkats.

Andy grins. ”That’s my next project. Got any ideas?”


End file.
